Albania’s ‘AI-generated minister’ sparks debate over accountability and corruption

Albania’s decision to appoint an AI-generated “minister” to oversee public tenders has stirred widespread debate over whether technology can truly solve entrenched corruption — or simply mask it in a new form.

Prime Minister Edi Rama unveiled Diella, billed as the world’s first virtual minister, claiming the move would eliminate graft in government contracting, one of the country’s biggest obstacles to joining the European Union.

Rama argued that Diella would be incorruptible, stressing that she required no salary, had no personal ties, and could not be swayed by family networks — long a source of favoritism in Albanian politics.

But experts and political opponents have cast doubt on both the effectiveness and the legitimacy of the experiment.

Erjon Curraj, a digital transformation and cybersecurity specialist, said the system’s integrity would depend entirely on the quality of the data it used and the reliability of the models behind it. He warned that biased or incomplete input could lead to flawed decisions, from misinterpreting documents to overlooking collusion.

Artificial intelligence researcher Jean-Gabriel Ganascia added that large language models, like those likely powering Diella, inevitably carry biases. He argued that assuming a machine to be neutral risked placing society in a position of unquestioning submission.

The Albanian opposition has raised constitutional concerns, questioning who would be accountable for the AI’s decisions. Former prime minister Sali Berisha asked in parliament who would ultimately control Diella. Critics warned that shifting decision-making to a machine could strip away political responsibility, reducing governance to algorithmic verdicts with no room for debate.

In response to growing unease, a government decree clarified that Rama himself would bear responsibility for Diella’s creation and operation. Still, analysts remain unconvinced.

Political scientist Lutfi Dervishi said that if manipulated data fed into the system, Diella would simply “legitimise old corruption with new software.”

The appointment has drawn international headlines, much like Rama’s past high-profile initiatives — ranging from a proposed TikTok ban to controversial migrant camps — but many of those projects have faltered in practice. It now remains unclear whether Diella will withstand constitutional scrutiny, or whether the European Union will accept such an experiment as part of Albania’s membership bid.